Hanger and spacer bracket



M. L. SAMUELS HANGER AND SPACER BRACKET Filed March l2, 1948 jzffy.

Jari. 12, 1954 Mmmm j Patented Jan. 12, y1954 U-N TATES ATENT 0 This invention relates 'to improvementsticniar object "te vprovide inea-ns by which a clip or bracketfcan be easily and effectively attached to ahorizontal bar oreros'sesnpport Iin such than ner Vthat the bracket ywill not accidentally slide lengthwise of the bar nor'accidentallybe released therefrom.

j-h'nother lobject is vto fprov'ide an extension 'for thebraeket which is nsabie as a hanger or as a snacer and which serves a handle 'by which tti-'attach the bracket to =a cross-support. Ah other object is =to yprovide a bracket which can be wedgingly secured as result of swinging motion of the bracket toward its support. Another objectis to provide'fo'r a somewhat 'resilient wedgiilg falt'o'r -or "Se'iely V-lin'g 'the bracket.

Another object is to provide Wedging action Aby means'of a bulging 'projection for bulging projections V-'a'rranged on an inclined member in sach manner as 'to provide for -`a l'springy snap-overengagement of the bracket with the top and lbotb tom surfaces of `the bei'. .Another object is `to pbvlide lav device which 'can 'be fOi'm'ed fon'l Sheet I'lil by stamping., bdlingjln Operations.

The invehtion has ffo'und valuable application for spacer elements adapted when used in pairs to support Vtires infu'pright display position.

Objects, yfeatures and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the drawings, and in said drawings: V Y l LFi'g. lis aperspecti've showing the invention anplied to a 'tire display rack;

n Fig."2 'a vertical section apnroxnnately on line 2-'2 of Fig. 1'; i

`F'ig. 3 'isa 'rear'elevati'on 'of 'the bracket of 'Figg2 4 is a vertical section through 'modified form of bracket; i Y K 5 is arear elevation of the bracket of Fig. 4';

Fig. v6 is an enlargedview 'showingthe attaching action of the bracket; and

Fig- 17 -is an enlarged View showing the attaching action of a modified form of bracket.-

1 lis a perspectivev view showing howl the present invention is applied to hold spacer rods on a horizontal bar. Numerals I and 2 indicate two uprights, in this instance of channel bar formation connected, as to the licor, in any suitable manner not shown. Each of these channels has two vertical rows of slots 3--4 adapted to have interlockingly engaged therewith, horizontal members 6 and diagonal members 1 for forming a rack. Each member 6 has suitable means 2 not showin which -ts in and yliliterloclss 'with one of fthe vslotsof the rowid. These'horiaoninl.mehri bers 'are support-ed fat their leuter ends by 'the diagonal element 1L, fea'ch l'suitably connected .at

theupner end by means-entering one :ofthe slots or the row 4, and connected .at the opposite ienav by suitable means 8, with 'corresponding horie zon'tal member f6. 'The connections Lof only one of'fthe bars 'l has beens'hown, and onlyi'the:posi tion Y'of v'the Vopposite -bacr l1 has, Ibeen indicated. The tops of 'the bars Is are :notched as 'at ffann laid in these notches are somewhat lLrshaped horizontal bars lu. There are 'two of these weight-supporting bars, 'and `the periphery -o av tire may be supported `on them, and-asso sunpo'rted `the tire may enter 'between horizontal spacer elementsforarms SH each of 'which'is'ate tached to a bracket :l2 of this invention.

N'ow're'ferringv to Fig. l'2. The clips 1'2 aresp ported onfa horizontal bar ill. -In Fig. 'l this bar is suitably connectedfat Aeachendwith oneoi ithe slots of the row of --s'lot 4. However, this .liar Nl may be connected inany suitablevmanner andther device ofthis invention may be Aused in relation thereto for preventing the bracket or clip from accidentally'inovinglengthwise of th'e bar- The bar is corl'vexly curved as at i5.

'Thefbracket isso f-fcrined-a'sto'rprovidea hooked structure at its top and this Yis vdone by bending a `plate to provide afhori'z'ontal portion f6 adapted to engage the 4top :of the bar, anda-.downwardly directed'rear'ipo'rtlon H. Thebodynortion itt or the bracket engages 'the trontrface fof the bar vIii as shown, and has formed thereon a convexity r9 which maybe lformed by'punching. suitably Welded to this Yconvexity and to 'the 'outer surface i8 isafterxninalnlate'enbase-ofthe vann l-l ,which arm as before Istated may be rn'sed es la 4hook or hangerfor asfa spacer bar, 'as lin Fig. il. Eireann serves `as a handle 'by' 'which to manipulate .the bracket 'to'a'ttach it. I-fhe body portien 18 olf the bracket has openings`-2l` therein through which fastening devices can -be 'passed to 'secure l:the bracket 'to vthe wall.

'The unique part of this invention in combina tion lwith the hook 'is the 'provision of -afstr-iictnre at 'the bottom of the bracket isadanted to engage the bottom of vthe 'bar to `virxcnease 'the frictional engagement of the bracket with the top and bottom surfaces of the bar. To this end the bottom of the bracket has a bent-back portion or lip 25, the upper surface of which makes an angle of about 20 degrees with the inner surface of the body I8. This wedging lip 25 is provided, in Figs. 2 and 3, with a pair of punchedlies rearwardly beyond line B-B in direction of the arrow C, which represents the direction of swing of the bracket on its way 'to the final position of Fig. 2. f 1

The hook-over and lowering actions of the device are shown in the enlarged view Fig. 6. The bracket is first brought approximately to the full line position of this i'igure'i'n which position the forward end 30 of the extension 25 may clear the bottom of the bar. The clip is then moveddownwardly and lat the saine time swung inwardly as represented by the arrow D. and finally, as a result of the compound action, arrives at theV position shown in dot-and-dash lines whereat the surface 21 of the hook is engaged with the top surface of the bar and the bulges Y2li are engaged with the bottom of the bar. On continued swinging motion from the dot-and-dash line position, a snap-over-andlock action occurs, and the reference line A-A passes across the line-B-B to the position shown in Fig. 2 whereat the device is frictionally locked. The extension or lip 25 preferably has a resilient action to the extent that it will give slightly downwardly as snapfover-locking action occurs during rearward swinging movement of the bracket to the inal position of Fig. 2. After passage of the `top of the bulge 26 across the line B-B there is a recoil action of this extension 25 which makes for a secure anchorage. Insofar as I am aware no such snap-over-andlock action has ever before been conceived of in a device of thisrkind. This resilient action materially reducesthe frictional wear between the bulge or bulges and the lower surface of the bar I4. To provide wedging action by means of projections arranged on an inclinedvsurface the parts must have a certain critical relation to the dimensional thickness and height of a bar..

In Fig. 4 a modication has been shown in -all respects substantially like that previously described except that only a single convex bulge` 32 is provided and itis elongated as shown in In Fig. which no-bulge is used on thewedging lip and in which the angular relation of the upper surface'of the wedging lip or extension 436 to the* inner surface 31 of thebody IB is less than 20,-

and may be about In this ycasefalso frictionalengagement,between the bracket and the bar isobtained. The iigure shows the position` of the parts as just before the final swing of the bracket to bring the surface 31 against the opposed face 380i the bar I4. In this casethe wedging action takes place at the corner 39 of the bar and in'relation to that part of the wedging surfacellilv which lies between this corner 7 has been shown Va modification 39 and the surface 31. In this instance the extension 36 need not be as long as the extension 25. It will be understood that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 7 the surface 21 of the hook will substantially be engaged with the top surface of the bar I4. The angle of the top surface of the extension 36 may be more acute than is shown. When weight is applied to the rod H, wedging action is increased.

" The snap-over construction is the preferred construction although as will be clearly seen n that friction wedging action is obtained in both forms.

vWhat I claim is: v

l. In combination with a bar which has top and bottom surfaces. the bottom surface being convex, a bracket having an upstanding relatively fiat body portion, a hook including a rst member extending rearwardly from the upper end of said body portion over the top surface ofsaid bar and a second depending member extending downwardly behind said bar substantially parallel to said body portion, said hook pivotally supporting said bracket over the top surface of said bar, a substantially fiat resilient member extend ing rearwardly from the lower end of said bodyy portion, and embossed means formed on theupper surface of said iiat member which solely engages said convex bottom surface of said bar to secure said bracket against sliding movement along said bar, said embossed means including a rounded portion which is in strong frictional relation with said convex surface and which slides on said convex surface in a direction trans verse to the longitudinal direction of said bar as the lower end of said body portion of said bracket is pivoted toward and away from said bar.

2. The combination set forth in claim l, wherein said substantially flat resilient member extends rearwardly from the lower end of said body portion at an angle of more than ninety degrees.

3. The combination set forth in claim l, wherein a plurality of spaced-apart embossed means are formed on the upper surface of said fiat resilient member.

Y MARTIN L. SAMUELS.

ReferencesCited in the iile of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 22, v1926 

